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Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe Game Review

Closer Look (Cont.)

There are also options to go online and download your favorite planes from websites for free. One site that I used often was SimViation, this is a free site dedicated people who design other aircraft for this game.

While flying, each plane has four different views. These are:

1. The cockpit view
2. An outside free floating view that you can move around your plane
3. A view where the camera appears to be attached to a part of your plane
4. a view from any nearby air traffic tower.

Each plane has moving surfaces including the landing gear, ailerons, elevators, stabilizers, flaps and opening exits. Microsoft Flight Simulator X has detailed audio to go with the visual effects; the sounds have a Doppler effect, meaning that when you look around the cockpit the engines sounds change from one speaker to another. Also when using the external view the sounds will change depending on what angle you are viewing the plane at. For example from the rear, you will hear the loud sound of the engines, when switching to the front you will notice that the sounds switch to rushing air.

The world in which you interact with your planes is just as highly detailed as the aircraft that you fly. For the first time, Microsoft has added moving ground vehicles and ships. These vehicles have also been added to airports now. There are thousands of runways in this game, everything from the dirt strip in a small town to the largest airports in the world. Larger runways have active landing lights with moving beacon lights on towers to assist in navigation. The static objects placed in the cities and extremely well done, most buildings are located in their proper position on the ground. Well known landmarks are all extremely well placed and detailed in the game. Most runways have a fuel station that will allow you to make a emergency landing to refuel if required, before carrying on with your flight.

Gamers are able to control most of the environmental conditions that affect your flight, including date, time, weather and season. One of the best features is the online Real-World Weather, allowing the computer to scan the internet and acquire the current weather for the area that you are flying in. This weather has the option of being updated every 15 minutes and very close to the actual weather outside.